This invention relates to decorative handles which are attachable to rotatable stems and have decorative inserts placed therein. It appears especially useful for a plumbing valve handle.
There are currently available decorative handles with replaceable decorative inserts for attaching to the handle. Such handles are desirable as they permit the valve handle decor to be changed to conform to whatever decoration is used in a bathroom or other room during the life of the fitting. For example, in U. S. Pat. No. 4,525,894 (FIG. 2) there is shown one type of handle with a replaceable insert. However, this prior art handle is held in place by a member projecting through the side of a handle which has negative aesthetic aspects, may trap soap and water, and may have a significant risk of vandalism if the handle were used in a public place.
Other prior art insert members involve the use of a friction fit type insert cap (such as shown in U. S. Pat. No. 3,965,528) which are pressed down from the top. However, these involve the disadvantage of easy removal by vandals, and are formed with bumps or ridges on the top of the cap to permit disassembly.
Still other units require the gluing of an insert member to the handle. This makes it difficult for a consumer to change handle appearance by changing inserts.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a handle assembly wherein an insert member can be retained in the handle body in a secure manner and without requiring any adhesive or projections through the side of the knob. Other objects are a handle assembly which can be assembled or disassembled without tools, and provides an attachment for the insert member so that accumulation of foreign material around the insert edge or in the knob interior is retarded.